Hellobee

As I’ve mentioned before, my little Snow is a budding scientist. She loves discovering, especially in nature, and learning new things. She loves experiments. She wants to be a veterinarian and “someone who digs up dinosaur bones” (a paleontologist, but she can never remember the long word) when she grows up.

I am lucky that there are lots of shows out there to feed her passion for science. We aren’t strict about screentime in our house: the TV is often on in the background, and Snowy rarely just sits down and watches it unless she’s really worn out. When she does watch TV, I prefer shows she can learn something from, and luckily there are lots of science based shows that teach a lot! Even I learn new things. Not coincidentally, these are my favorite shows to watch with her when I’m parenting from the bed or the couch, which happens frequently as a mom with chronic illness.

Gigantosaurus

This is a new discovery of ours, and is on Disney Jr. Disney shows tend to be less educational about facts and sticks to more character building themes, but you can still learn: Snowy didn’t know what a gigantosaurus was before we watched the show! Along with learning about different types of dinosaurs, this show emphasizes accepting one another despite our differences and problem solving skills.

Dinosaur Train

This is one of my favorite kids’ shows. It is chock full of information about different prehistoric periods, dinosaur species and their features. And it features a lot of catchy and often educational songs! It was made in collaboration with the Jim Henson company, and I love the animation style. Plus, the main characters aren’t annoying like in many kids shows. This is one I could watch over and over! Available on Amazon Prime and the PBS Kids app.

Splash and Bubbles

Another show made in collaboration with the Jim Henson company, this one goes underwater! Kids learn in two ways: about different underwater species and their traits, and about getting along with and not being afraid of those who are different from you. I like that this show has a good mix of science and character building education. Plus, once again, the songs are super catchy! Available on Netflix and the PBS Kids app.

Magic School Bus

This was one of my favorite shows when I was little, and one of the only ones my dad could stand to watch with me. It’s great to see how well it has held up; Snowy likes these original episodes just as much as the new reboot. This show is seriously so good I could watch it on my own. There are so many different kinds of science explored here, from molecules and chemistry to the human body to reptiles to butterflies! It teaches in a way kids feel like they’re really experiencing it along with Ms. Frizzle’s class. I also like that there is a pretty equal mix of girl and boy students and all the students get pretty equal airtime and focus. Available on Netflix.

Magic School Bus Rides Again

This is a new series, but is more of a sequel than a reboot. The original Ms. Frizzle is now Dr. Frizzle, and her younger sister, voiced by Kate McKinnon, has taken over. I love how this series emphasizes how making mistakes and getting messy is important. There is even a whole episode about failing and how failure has helped scientists to make some of their best discoveries! This show has just as much science as the original show, but it has a lot of valuable character education, too. In the very first episode, the kids deal with change, and the change they are dealing with regarding their new teacher is compared to change in an ecosystem. Plus, the original Ms. Frizzle, now Valerie Frizzle, PhD, is still there at the end of each episode to answer questions kids and their grown ups might have. Available on Netflix.

Sid the Science Kid

Sid is a kid who, along with his diverse group of friends and his family, makes every day a science experiment, and helps kids learn the scientific method on the way. I like that this show specifically focuses on how to do science, which makes this, along with Magic School Bus, one of my favorites as far as educational value for young scientists. Some might find Sid annoying, since he is a kid who asks a lot of questions, but compared to a lot of kids’ TV characters that annoy me (*cough* Katerina Kitty Cat) I find him quite tolerable. Probably because Snowy is always doing experiments and asking a lot of questions too.

Octonauts

This was a Disney channel show and probably one of the most educational ones! This show takes you under the ocean and deals with a different sea creature every episode. Many of these sea creatures are ones I didn’t know much about, so I’m learning a lot alongside Snowy. There’s a catchy song with the key features of each creature at the end of each episode. Snowy has loved this series for years, and we even dressed up as the two female Octonauts, Dashi Dog and Tweak the Rabbit, for Halloween when she was three! Available on Netflix.

Wild Kratts

I grew up watching the Kratt brothers, so I love that they are still popular and have a show that Snowy loves. If your kid is interested in animals and wants to know more, this is the absolute best show for them. Each episode focuses on a new animal, and it really teaches kids, and their parents, a lot about the animals they never would have known otherwise. Available on the PBS Kids app and Prime Video.

Zoboomafoo

This is actually a show that was on when I was a kid, made by the same people as the Kratt brothers, but Snowy and I enjoy watching it together on YouTube. It stars a lemur named Zoboomafoo and his adventures meeting and learning about many different kinds of animals. Available on YouTube and Prime Video.

Miles From Tomorrowland and Mission Force One 

Not a super sciencey show per say, but this Disney show is great for kids interested in space and exploration. The third season is called Mission Force One and is kind of a spin-off, kind of a continuation of the series. The first two seasons focus on Miles and his family, including sister Loretta, while the third season focuses on Miles, Loretta, and their friends doing missions as a team without Miles’ parents. Available on Hulu.

Dinosaur Dana

This Prime original series is a spin-off of another Prime original series, Dinosaur Dan. This show is great for young paleontologists and teaches them a lot about dinosaurs. Not only that, it gives young female scientists a rare role model in Dana. Often, unfortunately, on sciencey kid’s shows, girls are relegated to supporting characters or aren’t present at all. That is luckily not the case here, and one of the show’s best features other than the realistic dinosaurs is Dana’s relationship with her sister. Often, dinosaur behavior is compared to real-life behavior in Dana and her sister. I also love that this show features a working mom and a very involved dad. Available on Prime Video.

And I implore children’s tv creators: please create more sciencey children’s shows with female protagonists! Our little girl scientists thank you.

Are your kids into science? Which of these shows do they like?